The invention relates generally to a light collector and more specifically a light collector for coupling light from a light source into a light pipe.
Elliptical light collectors are generally known in the field of light collectors for reflecting light from a light source and directing it into a light pipe. If a light source is placed at one focal point of an ellipse the light becomes focused at the other focal point of the ellipse. One undesirable property of prior collector designs is that the depth of the collector can become relatively large.
One aim in light collector design, such as for an automotive light distribution system, is to reduce the system package size without reducing light generating and gathering efficiency. As stated above, one drawback of the prior art elliptical light collector is that it is relatively deep and consequently difficult to accommodate in a limited area such as in an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle.
It would therefore be desirable to reduce the depth of a light collector provided that light coupling efficiency can be maintained.